Thermostat Setback Savings Calculator
Enter how many degrees you turn the heat down and for how many hours a day, and see your estimated heating cost and what the setback saves in a year.
Thermostat setback
B10Scenario A
Sets the electricity rate. Pick US average if you're not sure.
From EIA for US average. Use the rate on your bill if you know it.
Rate used: 18.4¢/kWh · US average · EIA reference 2025–26 · gas $1.55/therm · propane $2.60/gal · heating oil $3.70/gal · 4,500 heating degree-days · climate zone 4 (data as of 2026-09-26) ·
Estimated savings per year
8.0% of an estimated $1,302.00 heating bill.
- Current heating cost per year
- $1,302.00
- Estimated saving
- 8.0%
- Savings per year
- $104.16
Estimate. Formula and sources are under “How it works”. Change any input; the result updates as you type.
2026 note: The federal 25C and 25D tax credits ended for installations after Dec 31, 2025. Our numbers use 2026 rules. State rebates, HEAR/HOMES programs and utility programs may still apply.
Formula
How it works
- Current heating cost = annual heating load × your fuel's $ per MMBtu (same engine as the fuel comparison calculators: load = sq ft × insulation factor × heating degree-days × 24 ÷ 1,000,000)
- Savings % = 1% × degrees of setback × (hours ÷ 8), capped at 15%
- Savings per year = current heating cost × savings %
The DOE rule of thumb: turning the thermostat back 7–10 °F for 8 hours a day saves about 10% a year on heating, roughly 1% for each degree over an 8-hour period. A house loses heat more slowly when it's cooler inside, and that's where the saving comes from.
Heat pumps: a big setback can backfire. When the thermostat asks for a large jump in the morning, many heat pumps turn on their electric backup strips, which cost 2 to 3.6 times as much per unit of heat as the heat pump itself. Keep heat-pump setbacks small, or use a thermostat with a heat-pump recovery mode.
Sources: U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Saver (programmable thermostats: about 1% per °F for 8 hours; 7–10 °F for 8 hours ≈ 10% a year); EIA prices; NOAA CPC heating degree-day normals 1991–2020; NEEP heat pump seasonal COP by zone.
Worked example
A worked example
An 1,800 sq ft Massachusetts house with average insulation, heated by an 85% oil boiler, costs an estimated $2,830.71 a year to heat at the reference oil price of $3.80 a gallon. Turning it down 10 °F for 10 hours a day works out to 1% × 10 × (10 ÷ 8) = 12.5%, or about $353.84 a year.
Reference
By state, at the default inputs
Estimated savings per year, with this page's default inputs and each state's reference prices (EIA reference 2025–26, data as of 2026-09-26).
| US average | $104.16 | 18.4¢/kWh |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $81.54 | 15.5¢/kWh |
| Alaska | $194.13 | 25.0¢/kWh |
| Arizona | $39.72 | 15.0¢/kWh |
| Arkansas | $71.68 | 13.0¢/kWh |
| California | $85.87 | 32.0¢/kWh |
| Colorado | $98.56 | 16.0¢/kWh |
| Connecticut | $173.23 | 30.0¢/kWh |
| Delaware | $109.91 | 17.0¢/kWh |
| District of Columbia | $106.62 | 19.0¢/kWh |
| Florida | $27.18 | 15.0¢/kWh |
| Georgia | $71.08 | 14.5¢/kWh |
| Hawaii | $0.00 | 42.0¢/kWh |
| Idaho | $86.61 | 12.0¢/kWh |
| Illinois | $111.10 | 17.0¢/kWh |
| Indiana | $98.56 | 15.5¢/kWh |
| Iowa | $110.06 | 13.5¢/kWh |
| Kansas | $93.18 | 14.5¢/kWh |
| Kentucky | $85.42 | 13.0¢/kWh |
| Louisiana | $40.32 | 12.5¢/kWh |
| Maine | $232.06 | 26.0¢/kWh |
| Maryland | $109.91 | 19.0¢/kWh |
| Massachusetts | $207.87 | 29.0¢/kWh |
| Michigan | $108.42 | 19.5¢/kWh |
| Minnesota | $131.41 | 15.5¢/kWh |
| Mississippi | $51.52 | 13.5¢/kWh |
| Missouri | $102.44 | 13.0¢/kWh |
| Montana | $113.49 | 13.0¢/kWh |
| Nebraska | $101.85 | 12.0¢/kWh |
| Nevada | $62.72 | 15.0¢/kWh |
| New Hampshire | $218.03 | 27.0¢/kWh |
| New Jersey | $104.53 | 22.0¢/kWh |
| New Mexico | $77.65 | 15.0¢/kWh |
| New York | $147.84 | 25.0¢/kWh |
| North Carolina | $91.39 | 14.5¢/kWh |
| North Dakota | $127.68 | 11.5¢/kWh |
| Ohio | $110.66 | 16.5¢/kWh |
| Oklahoma | $78.40 | 13.0¢/kWh |
| Oregon | $109.91 | 14.5¢/kWh |
| Pennsylvania | $125.44 | 18.5¢/kWh |
| Rhode Island | $187.26 | 29.0¢/kWh |
| South Carolina | $69.89 | 15.0¢/kWh |
| South Dakota | $110.51 | 13.0¢/kWh |
| Tennessee | $75.26 | 13.5¢/kWh |
| Texas | $38.83 | 15.5¢/kWh |
| Utah | $85.12 | 12.0¢/kWh |
| Vermont | $215.64 | 22.0¢/kWh |
| Virginia | $89.60 | 15.5¢/kWh |
| Washington | $100.35 | 12.0¢/kWh |
| West Virginia | $93.18 | 15.5¢/kWh |
| Wisconsin | $121.56 | 17.5¢/kWh |
| Wyoming | $110.51 | 12.5¢/kWh |
Questions
FAQ
How much does lowering the thermostat 1 degree save?
About 1% of your heating bill for each degree held 8 hours a day. At the US-average reference gas price, a 2,000 sq ft house with average insulation spends an estimated $1,302.00 a year on heat, so 1 °F for 8 hours is about $13.02 a year.
Should I set back a heat pump?
A small setback, yes; a large one, carefully. The math above assumes the heat pump itself does the recovery. If your backup strips kick in every morning, the saving can disappear. Watch the thermostat's "aux" or "emergency heat" indicator the first few mornings.
Is there a limit to how much I can save?
The calculator caps the saving at 15%, for example 15 °F for 8 hours, or 7.5 °F for 16 hours. Beyond that the 1%-per-degree rule stops being reliable.
Best thermostat setting for winter?
The lowest setting you're comfortable with while awake, and a setback while you sleep or are away. The calculator doesn't pick a temperature for you; it measures the setback from whatever your normal setting is, so the saving depends on the size of the drop and how long you hold it.
Does it save as much in a mild state?
The percentage is the same, but the dollars follow your heating bill. In the Texas heat pump example (2,200 sq ft, good insulation), a 5 °F setback saves 5.0% of $352.73, about $17.64 a year.
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